Discussion of Stinger paint quality (Was - Paint Chip Issue)

[Madtoken]

Hey I have a black gt1, noticed very similar chips, let me know what happens at the dealership
I thought I was the only one and had bad luck with rocks lol

Exactly the Same situation here. Blvk GT, chips all over. The whole paint looks dull. even after a detail hand wash. i Love my stinger so this is killing me! I bought their paint pen but that's a mission to do and it never looks right (the first time I used the pen, it came out in a blotch and made a mess and till this day I see the bubble it left behind, ugh) I've a considered a whole new paint job i need my baby looking right..even out of pocket. I've been reading around and should I make kia or dealershippay for it?
never seen or have a ceramic coat not sure of this would bring my paint the luster and shine but its costy for that paint the car again....any suggestions will help.. thx.

 

[Revvdmedia]

Exactly the Same situation here. Blvk GT, chips all over. The whole paint looks dull. even after a detail hand wash. i Love my stinger so this is killing me! I bought their paint pen but that's a mission to do and it never looks right (the first time I used the pen, it came out in a blotch and made a mess and till this day I see the bubble it left behind, ugh) I've a considered a whole new paint job i need my baby looking right..even out of pocket. I've been reading around and should I make kia or dealershippay for it?
never seen or have a ceramic coat not sure of this would bring my paint the luster and shine but its costy for that paint the car again....any suggestions will help.. thx.

Paint should look good even a couple year old without any detailing, obviously not so after 10+ years (not your case). You don't need wax or ceramic for the car to look good, it should only look "even better" after that. If you question the paint, obviously try the dealer, warranty first, then out of pocket if they won't budge.

 

[MerlintheMad]

Exactly the Same situation here. Blvk GT, chips all over.

How many? How long has this been going on? Where are most of the chips? How big are they? Pics, please.

The whole paint looks dull.

Post some pics, please. I cannot visualize a "dull" Stinger paint job. Never heard of such.

(the first time I used the pen, it came out in a blotch and made a mess and till this day I see the bubble it left behind, ugh)

Why did you leave the mess? I've had touchup paint come out too much, and I instantly clean it off and try again. You can put touchup on a little heavier than you intend to leave it: then come back and lightly sand it down. Mostly it doesn't work, but it doesn't leave a "bubble" behind.​

I've a considered a whole new paint job i need my baby looking right..even out of pocket.

I totally agree. If I had paint that I became unsatisfied with, I'd approach Kia first and get a ruling for warranty or not. Then proceed. And if I had to, the rest of the car is so great that I'd fix her up right. But I'm pretty sure the way to go is a wrap, not a respray. Wraps cost less than half what a decent paint job does, and are guaranteed for five to ten years. Painting seems to be an "old school" approach that doesn't compete anymore. Anyway, that's how I'd approach changing my car's appearance.

never seen or have a ceramic coat

My understanding is that ceramic benefits a wrap too. It's good protection and boosted shine on the whole car, glass, wrap/paint, rims. I haven't invested in ceramic (yet) because I have been fortunate in my paint; it looks as good today as it did almost two years ago.

Did you ever apply PPF? I did that after three months showed me that the front end of my car was going to look like went through a battle (which it is: things hit the car, inevitably). I have full PPF back to the windshield. That was an investment I've always felt was the best thing I could do to prolong the appearance of my car.

 

[Joseph Cahn]

Thanks, I would love to but the words of warning from many seemingly are coming to pass:

The Stinger is a great car. There is no doubting that.

The weakest link in all of this remains Kia and their crap dealer network. It is odd that I have not has similar problems with Hyundai/Genesis and the many vehicles I got from them. However, Every. Single. Kia. Causes. Angst, When. Going. To. The. Dealer.

All of them. Every time. It was so bad that I went to both a Dodge and a Hyundai store where I know the service advisors there and was speaking to them about getting all work on my car done there. Maybe it is just South Florida (and Ohio where I lived for a spell). Perhaps other parts of the globe fare better but it is my personal experience that the dealer network here sucks rocks and the yokels at Kia NA that represent them down here are not much better.

Could be me though. I should have done the swap and been done with them last year.

I took the buyback and switched to a different car. The economics of running the Yellow GT were too much for the small amount of times I was not sitting in traffic and could have some fun with it. That replacement car got rear ended by a drunk at a light and totaled. The replacement for that was a 2019 Acura TLX A Spec which got hit by a different moron while parked in a parking lot away from all the other cars. I have had terrible luck with my cars lately.

 

[Madtoken]

How many? How long has this been going on? Where are most of the chips? How big are they? Pics, please.

Post some pics, please. I cannot visualize a "dull" Stinger paint job. Never heard of such.

Why did you leave the mess? I've had touchup paint come out too much, and I instantly clean it off and try again. You can put touchup on a little heavier than you intend to leave it: then come back and lightly sand it down. Mostly it doesn't work, but it doesn't leave a "bubble" behind.​

I totally agree. If I had paint that I became unsatisfied with, I'd approach Kia first and get a ruling for warranty or not. Then proceed. And if I had to, the rest of the car is so great that I'd fix her up right. But I'm pretty sure the way to go is a wrap, not a respray. Wraps cost less than half what a decent paint job does, and are guaranteed for five to ten years. Painting seems to be an "old school" approach that doesn't compete anymore. Anyway, that's how I'd approach changing my car's appearance.

My understanding is that ceramic benefits a wrap too. It's good protection and boosted shine on the whole car, glass, wrap/paint, rims. I haven't invested in ceramic (yet) because I have been fortunate in my paint; it looks as good today as it did almost two years ago.

Did you ever apply PPF? I did that after three months showed me that the front end of my car was going to look like went through a battle (which it is: things hit the car, inevitably). I have full PPF back to the windshield. That was an investment I've always felt was the best thing I could do to prolong the appearance of my car.

 

[Madtoken]

Heya Merlinrba thanks. You responding so quickly, I ReallyThanks foe repo di g. So quickly ii truly appears ellpi trult my appreciant ehte ci teult appreciabrw the help appreciate the help

 

[jondyer]

I took the buyback and switched to a different car. The economics of running the Yellow GT were too much for the small amount of times I was not sitting in traffic and could have some fun with it.

I hear ya!

I work from home and I put maybe 700 miles on my car a month, and most of that is going for drives with the wife on the weekend or the occasional blast down the highway to Fort Lauderdale. I have has slightly better luck with my other cars, but this one still causes problems, but I have moved beyond bitching and complaining here about all of the issues. I simply will drive and enjoy it, then buy something new this coming year.

 

[G-585172]

Ceramic coating will not fix paint problems with these cars it will still chip and now you just paid $1k for paint protection that won't work to stop the chipping. Take it from someone who "knows" from experience, save your money and buy a 2 year old Audi S4 or something else later. I am now driving a Rav4 Hybrid and will get a fun summer car like a corvette in another year or so.

 

[Chapindad]

I started this thread and am amazed at the traction that it still gets. I am also sadden by the lack of support from Kia and it's dealers across the US. I love my Stinger and I am done complaining at this point. I have called Kia, I have talked to people at the dealership and I talked to the paint and body guy at the dealership who confirmed it is an issue on my car. My son-in-law was in the market for a car and went to look at the Kia's new SUV but I advised him against it because of the lack of support from Kia. This will not be the last call that a car dealer makes with problems, and I am okay with problems, I just want support and accountability when they happen. My last offer to Kia and the dealership was a straight swap on a newer Stinger, I would get hit with another year of payments so I would get hit but they would get hit some depreciation. The dealership said they would pass it on but no one ever followed up with me. So Kia is now officially on my do not buy list and Galeana Kia is on my never buy from again list.

 

[jondyer]

I started this thread and am amazed at the traction that it still gets. I am also sadden by the lack of support from Kia and it's dealers across the US. I love my Stinger and I am done complaining at this point. I have called Kia, I have talked to people at the dealership and I talked to the paint and body guy at the dealership who confirmed it is an issue on my car. My son-in-law was in the market for a car and went to look at the Kia's new SUV but I advised him against it because of the lack of support from Kia. This will not be the last call that a car dealer makes with problems, and I am okay with problems, I just want support and accountability when they happen. My last offer to Kia and the dealership was a straight swap on a newer Stinger, I would get hit with another year of payments so I would get hit but they would get hit some depreciation. The dealership said they would pass it on but no one ever followed up with me. So Kia is now officially on my do not buy list and Galeana Kia is on my never buy from again list.

I completely agree. Kia is making some good looking cars, but due to the support from the dealers and Kia NA, or lack thereof, I highly doubt that I will be buying another Kia. My wife had her heart set on a Telluride, but Kia screwed her over too, now she drives a Palisade. My parents had a Kia, but due to crap service they gave up and drive Mazdas. Same thing with my Toyota driving brother. My sister got sick of West Palm Beach Kia and drives a Ford.

Come to think of it, I know a LOT of former Kia owners, but not many repeat buyers.

 

[MerlintheMad]

Heya Merlinrba thanks. You responding so quickly, I ReallyThanks foe repo di g. So quickly ii truly appears ellpi trult my appreciant ehte ci teult appreciabrw the help appreciate the help

Lol. Trouble with your danged phone much?

 

[MerlintheMad]

I started this thread and am amazed at the traction that it still gets. I am also sadden by the lack of support from Kia and it's dealers across the US. I love my Stinger and I am done complaining at this point. I have called Kia, I have talked to people at the dealership and I talked to the paint and body guy at the dealership who confirmed it is an issue on my car. My son-in-law was in the market for a car and went to look at the Kia's new SUV but I advised him against it because of the lack of support from Kia. This will not be the last call that a car dealer makes with problems, and I am okay with problems, I just want support and accountability when they happen. My last offer to Kia and the dealership was a straight swap on a newer Stinger, I would get hit with another year of payments so I would get hit but they would get hit some depreciation. The dealership said they would pass it on but no one ever followed up with me. So Kia is now officially on my do not buy list and Galeana Kia is on my never buy from again list.

Hi, Chap. This has been (arguably) my "favorite" thread on the forum. I came to read it the first time when it was 23 pages in: read every post, and have read every post since. I am an advocate for "the good cars", not being tarnished with the same broad brush that the owners of the few "bad cars" tend to use on Stingers as a whole. (no kidding ) This thread and the poll attached to it, especially, are very informative. How helpful being informed is, for those who have paint quality issues, is the debatable part: venting is good for your health; ideas, about how to approach Kia NA, are of course helpful; decisions about how to move forward have been interesting to me, in case something bad happens to my car too. Nobody is immune from physical defects.

Anyway, thanks for starting one of the Stinger Forum's most active, insightful and beneficial discussions!

 

[Catloaf]

I also want to say thanks to this thread - I had signed the papers to buy a Stinger last February, and backed out and fortunately the dealership let me void the contract (I had to pay for tires I had them buy for me though so I lost a bunch on those). I did not want to deal with the paint issues on a cool car like this. My wife really wanted a Model 3 anyway, so we got one of those in March and have zero regrets about giving up on the Stinger. Without this thread I would have been in a world of annoyances, from the sound of it. Thanks for helping us dodge a bullet

 

[jondyer]

Interesting you feel that way.

I too have an update, not entirely related to the Stinger and Kia NA.

So, I bought my wife a Palisade and we noticed that there was a slight paint issue on the driver's front fender. I took it to the dealer and they immediately were apologetic, took the car in, gave me a loaner and have been excellent through the whole process.

This is a distant cry from the lack of information and hassle I got from Kia. My real point is that Kia chose the hard way, Hyundai chose the easy, "customer friendly" (with customer retention in mind) way. From initial call to paint was less than a week. They are even throwing in some map updates and such.

Thought I would share, for what its worth.

 

[MerlintheMad]

I also want to say thanks to this thread - I had signed the papers to buy a Stinger last February, and backed out and fortunately the dealership let me void the contract (I had to pay for tires I had them buy for me though so I lost a bunch on those). I did not want to deal with the paint issues on a cool car like this. My wife really wanted a Model 3 anyway, so we got one of those in March and have zero regrets about giving up on the Stinger. Without this thread I would have been in a world of annoyances, from the sound of it. Thanks for helping us dodge a bullet

You're an interesting sort of cat, Cat. I'm glad for any help you might have received from me. And you are wise not to ignore your wife's predilections on cars. How is the EV working out? Even Tesla has paint issues with a few cars. The "new Green paint formulas" are to blame, is my humble opinion.

 

[jondyer]

You're an interesting sort of cat, Cat. I'm glad for any help you might have received from me. And you are wise not to ignore your wife's predilections on cars. How is the EV working out? Even Tesla has paint issues with a few cars. The "new Green paint formulas" are to blame, is my humble opinion.

I used to disagree with Merlin but unfortunately, the crap paint these days is very prevalent and yeah, there are issues there as well. @Catloaf I actually heard worse stories about getting Teslas serviced or repaired so I will say good luck to you sir.

 

[MerlintheMad]

As of today, c. 3.75% of members have responded to this poll. This is a running benchmark of how widespread (not very) paint issues are with our cars. The vast majority of drivers don't even notice this issue, ergo have no interest in voting in the poll - even out of that 3.75% who have graced us with their presence, one third don't have paint quality issues either. These proportions have held steady since the poll began in the first week of June, 2018.

 

[Catloaf]

As of today, c. 3.75% of members have responded to this poll. This is a running benchmark of how widespread (not very) paint issues are with our cars. The vast majority of drivers don't even notice this issue, ergo have no interest in voting in the poll - even out of that 3.75% who have graced us with their presence, one third don't have paint quality issues either. These proportions have held steady since the poll began in the first week of June, 2018.

I also wanted to point out that the car I almost bought had paint chips, I just had not looked closely at it before knowing about this issue. There was a giant ~1inch chunk of paint missing on the front hood near the wipers and some near the headlights, and tiny pinpricks around the front bumper. Now some of it obviously could be because it was a used car, but it was like 10k miles. I keep my cars a long time. If it had that many paint problems in 10k miles I didn't want to buy that particular one, and was then doubtful about others of the 2018 model year. It's a shame too because I loved it otherwise!

 

[Catloaf]

I used to disagree with Merlin but unfortunately, the crap paint these days is very prevalent and yeah, there are issues there as well. @Catloaf I actually heard worse stories about getting Teslas serviced or repaired so I will say good luck to you sir.

Hasn't been too bad so far (I was purposely avoiding talking too much about it because this is a stinger forum and don't want to come off as an evangelist lol), two minor things under warranty. Got the car wrapped anyway so paint quality isn't a problem (newer models don't have the issues though). Fortunately a wrap should prevent paint issues on the 3, whereas it appeared wraps weren't necessarily a guaranteed solution for the Stingers. Plus I have a unique color now so there's that

I still excitedly point out Stingers whenever I see them, they're just so cool looking. And around here they are far more rare than a 3.

 

[TwiceStung]

I get to add my own story about paint now. However, it may be “self-induced”.

My wife had her second ACL replacement in less than 6 months done in early December and we discovered that she can easily fit into the front of the Stinger as a passenger even with her leg brace locked in a straight position. So, I’ve been driving Miss Daisy around for a month. I just noticed this week two large paint chips on the door sill edge/top of rocker panel where she swings her braced leg into the car. There are also a few other dings, impressions, scrapes, etc. on her side. Nada on my side. Betting her brace is the culprit but these seem to have come off pretty easily. I’ll be putting some PPF in this area shortly as I have already touched them up. Just plastic down there so no rust worries.

She can drive me next in her car so I can mark it up. I get shoulder surgery in early Feb.